A Good Samaritan who believes in teaching fishing rather than giving fish

Hyderabad: In a world where hunger and unemployment persist as daily struggles for millions, one man from Hyderabad is quietly but profoundly transforming lives. Ramu Dosapati, a 46-year-old HR professional, has been on a journey to empower the underprivi-leged for over four years. His story is one of compassion, sacri-fice, and a commitment to building a more sustainable future for those in need.

Ramu’s transformative journey began in 2020, during the un-precedented COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the chaos and despair, an act of kindness by his neighbour, Lakshmamma—the wife of a local watchman—ignited a spark of compassion within him.

Lakshmamma, with a meager salary of just Rs 600, had selfless-ly spent half of her earnings to feed migrant workers stranded in their colony. This simple, yet powerful act of generosity moved Ramu, inspiring him to do more than just provide immediate re-lief; it motivated him to help people become self-sufficient.

Ramu’s first initiative, the Rice ATM, emerged from his desire to address the immediate need for food while offering a long-term solution. Unlike the high-tech dispensing machines used in other countries, Ramu’s Rice ATM in LB Nagar, Hyderabad, is a hum-ble yet impactful system that operates 24/7, offering free rice and daily essentials to those who need it the most.

No identification is required—just a genuine need for food and dignity.

But Ramu has gone beyond the Rice ATM. He believes that if you give a man a fish, you will feed him for a day. But if you teach him how to fish you will feed him for a lifetime. He started other initiatives to empower the needy.

“I wanted to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry,” Ramu says, reflecting on the core mission behind the Rice ATM. “Feeding people is important, but I also wanted to help them stand on their own feet.” Since its inception, the Rice ATM has provided families for over 1 lakh families, becoming a lifeline to the underserved in the community.

However, Ramu’s vision didn’t stop feeding the hungry. He rec-ognised that food alone wouldn’t address the root causes of pov-erty, leading him to launch Prisha, a project aimed at creating sustainable livelihoods through employment. He believes that if you give a man a fish, you will feed him for a day. But if you teach him how to fish you will feed him for a lifetime. Every weekend, Ramu organises workshops for women in need of jobs. Through these workshops, he has reached over 4,000 women across Telangana, as well as beneficiaries from Odisha, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

His approach goes beyond job placement. He provides essential tools like push carts, sewing machines, iron boxes, and tea stall equipment to those ready to work. He also offers skill training in tailoring and beautician services, empowering individuals to earn a living with dignity. Ramu doesn’t just stop at providing re-sources—he follows up with each beneficiary, ensuring their businesses and careers are progressing.

Running these initiatives has not been without sacrifice. To fund the Rice ATM and Prisha, Ramu has used his personal savings, mortgaged his wife’s gold, and even sold a 2-acre plot of ances-tral land in Nalgonda. The support of volunteers and donors con-tinues to keep the initiatives running smoothly.

Ramu’s friend, Yasaswini Jonnalagadda, has played an instru-mental role in supporting and expanding the reach of these pro-grammes. Together, they have inspired others to join the cause, creating a ripple effect of positive change throughout the com-munity.

Looking ahead, Ramu has plans to launch Project Big Bridge, a new initiative aimed at providing employment opportunities to unemployed youth. Set to launch after Sankranti, Project Big Bridge will offer a platform to connect job seekers with employ-ers, giving young people the tools and resources needed to se-cure meaningful work. “I’ve received numerous inquiries about job opportunities,” Ramu says. “With Project Big Bridge, we aim to provide a structured platform for unemployed youth to find meaningful work.”